


shining more than anyone else, that year's you, you of that day

by TheEnlightenment



Series: KinWon Genderqueer AU [1]
Category: Pentagon (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Background Changgu/Yan An, Domestic Violence, Fluff and Angst, Identity Issues, Implied Wooseok/Yuto, M/M, Non-Explicit Sex, Past Shinwon/Yan An, Shinwon-centric, Time Skips, background Jinho/Hongseok
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2020-10-24
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:47:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27183334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheEnlightenment/pseuds/TheEnlightenment
Summary: Shinwon is tired of his boring tiny town, but when Hyunggu (Kino) enters his secret oasis, the town starts to open itself up and so does Shinwon.TW: Not Graphic, but blood and domestic violence is a part of this fic! There is a part where they have their first time, but it isn't graphic at all. Also Shinwon says "dick" .
Relationships: Kang Hyunggu | Kino/Ko Shinwon
Series: KinWon Genderqueer AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1987543
Comments: 9
Kudos: 22





	shining more than anyone else, that year's you, you of that day

**Author's Note:**

> The ages are all over the place for this, all you know is Shinwon is 19 and Kino is 17 so he calls him hyung. Jinho is younger than he should be, Hui is older than him. It's a mess. Shh, just go with it. 
> 
> It's never explicitly said what Kino is, you can imagine. It's kinda just how I see myself right now. 
> 
> Title from Nostalgia by Pentagon, the song fits this fic really well in general so I recommend listening to it after. 
> 
> This is my baby, I spent so long thinking about it before just sitting down and writing it out in one day. It's not the best thing I've ever written, but it sure is nice. I hope you enjoy!

There’s a new kid in town. Someone the whole school is talking about, but Shinwon hasn’t seen them in the few days he actually manages to drag himself out of bed to classes. Who transfers to a new school in senior year in the first place? This afternoon, Shinwon is lazing on an overgrown tree branch in his favorite spot, book of the week put to the side, listening to the wind rustle the tree leaves around and the rush of the river nearby. Shinwon doesn’t particularly like nature - he’s far too afraid of bugs - but he’s been coming here for years and grown accustomed to the glenn that no one else seems to know exists. He likes the peace and quiet, and has finished many books right in this very spot. He checks his phone, the time not that surprising since he can already see the sun starting to set, and decides he should be getting home. He grabs the small book with his left hand, and is about to jump down onto the ground when he notices him. There’s a flash of vivid bright blue in the corner of his eye, and as Shinwon looks around he sees a boy kneeling by the river smiling down at its flow. The sunset makes his hair look a little darker than it is, but it’s still such a shocking color that Shinwon’s mouth physically drops open. The boy doesn’t see him, seemingly looking at fish and dipping his slender finger in to play, so Shinwon stays behind the trunk and watches him. He tells himself he isn’t being creepy, just safe. He doesn’t know this person with the freakishly bright hair in their tiny boring town where he knows  _ everyone  _ whether he wants to or not. Shinwon has the passing thought that the boy looks beautiful, a smile on his face for no one at all. He hesitates before slowly reaching for his phone, aiming the shot and taking one lovely photo of the boy along the forest greenery. His breath catches as he hears the shutter click he never remembers to turn off, and he sees the boy turn directly to face his direction with a surprised look. Shinwon almost drops his phone, because while the side profile had been nice on its own - this boy just looks unreal. The stranger raises his hand, standing from his squatting position and coming toward him. Shinwon has the good nature to look embarrassed as he fumbles with his phone trying to open his gallery.    
  
“Fuck, I’m sorry. I’ll delete it.”    
  
“Why? Is it a bad picture?” His voice matches his face, sweet and thin. The boy smiles at Shinwon, looking down at his phone which is now showing the photo taken. “Wow. That looks awesome! You gotta send that to me.” He starts taking out his own phone, and Shinwon just stands there unsure of what to even say. 

“What, are you crazy?” Shinwon manages to get out, mouth working faster than his brain. He  _ is  _ the one who just took a creepy stalker photo of a boy in the woods, how could he ask that? Still, the boy just giggles and shrugs in an endearing way and holds out his phone. “Dude.” Shinwon takes it for some reason, holding it cautiously. “I could be a serial killer.”    
  
“Are you?”    
  
“No!” The boy is a lot shorter than him and has to look up a bit to see his face, he looks into his eyes squinting his own with his tiny pink tongue out between his lips. “What are you-” Shinwon starts getting self conscious, fidgeting side to side and still holding the stranger’s phone.    
  
“I trust you. You have kind eyes.” The boy’s own eyes are catlike and gorgeous, with a pretty mole right under one of them. Shinwon lets out a chuckle at that, looking down at the contact page and putting in his number with his name before handing it back. It’s a small town, he doubts this tiny boy can cause him any harm. Besides, he’s just too sweet. “Ko Shinwon?” He looks at him.    
  
“At your service,” Shinwon salutes and hears the other laugh again. Is he really that funny?   
  
“You’re funny.” Shinwon blinks incredulously but earns more and more smiles. He doesn’t know if the boy ever stops. “I’m Kang Hyunggu.” He puts a finger to his cheek in a cute way as he says it. “I also go by Kino.”    
  
“Why do you have two names?” He doesn’t mean to be rude but he notices Hyunggu’s smile falter for just a second.    
  
“Well,” Hyunggu acts like he’s thinking before giving Shinwon another blinding smile, something that seemingly won’t ever run out “it’s a secret.” Something finally clicks, the talk of the entire town is right in front of him.

“You’re the new guy.”    
  
“I am. I’m glad I’ve made a friend in my first week.”    
  
“Really? That’s surprising.”    
  
“Oh.” Hyunggu looks shy suddenly, but quickly brightens again and pokes Shinwon’s shoulder. The older looks down at the spot the younger’s finger had prodded, then at him and his brain catches up. 

“I didn’t mean -”    
  
“Nah.” Hyunggu steps back, hands out defensively waving them back and forth and shaking his head. “I’m the new weird kid. I get that.”    
  
“You’re not weird.” Shinwon thinks he might be a hypocrite, but he’d rather be a hypocrite than mean.   
  
“I can be a little weird.” Hyunggu walks over to a dying dandelion that’s already turned white and picks it. Shinwon watches the boy as though he was a rare beautiful animal, but in this town he might as well be. Everyone dresses the same, eats the same, has the same future and Shinwon’s been tired for a really long time of the monotony. Hyunggu dropped in like something he’d been secretly waiting for. He watches the younger’s pretty lips blow to spread the seeds. “This place feels magical.” Shinwon agrees, looking around at the pretty, clean glenn with the setting sun. The weather is perfect too, just warm enough to feel nice on the skin with a nice breeze coming through. He comes here to escape. He hoped no one would ever find his secret spot but out of anyone, he’s glad it’s this guy.    
  
“How did you find it?” He walks closer to Hyunggu, picking his own dandelion in the same spot and doing just the same, watching the white puffs fly out around them.   
  
“I like exploring.” Hyunggu is a child, Shinwon thinks. He’s pure and unruined, no depressing adult thoughts to weigh him down. He’ll give it a year or two in their high school before he’s broken down like the rest. Maybe his pretty blue hair will go back to the same dull black as everyone else. “Did you make a wish?” Shinwon hums in question, looking at the boy again. He’s even more stunning up close and Shinwon looks away quickly.    
  
“Why would I?”    
  
“Why wouldn’t you?”    
  
“Wishes don’t come true.” He wonders if Hyunggu can hear the exhaustion in his voice, the subconscious irritation of how his life is turning out when he’s already nineteen and got nothing to show for it.   
  
“What if they do? You should just make a wish anyway.”    


“Did you?”   
  
“Of course.”    
  
“What did you wish for?” Shinwon chuckles. “You’re going to say it’s a secret, right? That wishes don’t come true if you say them out loud?”    
  
“Nah! That’s outdated. If destiny was to grant your wish, it doesn’t matter if you say it or not.” Hyunggu giggles as if that’s common knowledge and although it makes a lot of sense to Shinwon, it’s too damn pure.    
  
“Are you going to tell me then?” Sometime during their talk, they’ve migrated back to the trunk of Shinwon’s tree. They lean against it, looking out at the thick forest of trees they’ll have to go back through to get back to the real world. Shinwon wishes they never had to go.    
  
“You want to know?”    
  
“Don’t really care either way.” Hyunggu pouts.   
  
“Then there’s no reason to tell you.” Hyunggu leans forward, getting up and moving towards the exit where the little path Shinwon knows even in the dark these days rests.    
  
“Hey, come on!” Shinwon yells at him. Hyunggu stops, looks back with that grin of his and winks then walks into the trees. Shinwon wonders if he’ll wake up, or if he was just the product of him daydreaming a little too hard but he feels his phone start to ring and with his mother’s name lighting up the screen. He has no time to think anymore. He has to go home. 

Shinwon shuffles his feet into his home room on a Tuesday morning, everyone staring at him when he walks in but he just sits at his desk and leans back, closing his eyes, waits for the teacher to come in. He can hear them all whispering about his absences and how he’s probably a gangster who has like seven girlfriends and a child and runs a cocaine ring. He smiles to himself at the thought of such an interesting life, though he’ll skip the seven girlfriends and child.

He thinks his mind is just about to drift off into that nice space of autopilot where he doesn’t have to feel the rest of the day when someone _ touches  _ him. Shinwon is  _ not  _ a gangster, but he snaps his eyes open with a mean look, never expecting anyone to have the balls to approach him. He’s even more surprised at who he sees however, the blue hair is hard to forget, though this time the boy wears round silver rimmed glasses with his not so neat school uniform. His tie isn’t done up right, his collar uneven and he’s rolled his sleeves to his elbows. He looks great, but he’s sure he’s about to get chewed out by their homeroom teacher. The classroom is staring at them, surely a sight to behold with their differences from the sheep. Hyunggu is smiling at him, looking like he’s holding back on saying something when he loses a chance to say anything at all with the door opening with the teacher walking in.    
  
“To your seats, class.” The older woman stops at the podium, her eyes landing on Hyunggu who is still standing next to Shinwon, not having an assigned seat to go to. “You. Your name.” The teacher’s strict voice rings out and Hyunggu turns to face her.   
  
“Kang Hyunggu,” he says confidently “I also go by Kino.” He adds the same way he did a few days ago in the forest. Shinwon hears the class snicker behind him and scowls. He likes Kino’s name.    
  
“What nonsense is that?” The teacher scoffs out loud, and motions for him to walk up to the front of the room. “You’re new?”    
  
“Yes,” Hyunggu answers, seemingly shyer at the front facing everyone. “I just moved to this town from -”    
  
“Right, well I don’t know where you came from but your hair and uniform are unacceptable. I’ll give you until the beginning of next week to change the hair, and you better start wearing your uniform properly starting tomorrow.” She levels him with a glare and Hyunggu’s regular smile falls.    
  
“But I just got it done.” He says quietly, the class laughs louder. He can hear people behind him whispering about what a shame the new guy is such a weirdo when he looks so handsome. The school had assumed when he first came for his paperwork that the boy was an idol, eager to get to know him. After finding he was just a regular kid that didn’t know how to keep his place, they all turned.   
  
“Understood?” The teacher says louder. Hyunggu stands to the side and bows in acceptance. Shinwon feels much more than disappointed to think the blue hair will be going. “Who wants to sit with Hyunggu and show him around today?” No one stands to accept the new boy, and he can  _ feel  _ Hyunggu’s eyes resting on him even though Shinwon is looking at his desk determinedly. He’s about to cave and stand up when he hears a common voice and the sound of someone standing to his left. Shinwon sits in the front, despite his slacker ways, because that’s where his seat is and he’s not afraid to slack right in front of the teachers’ eyes anyway.    
  
“He can sit with me, teacher.” The voice belongs to the class president, a tiny boy that either hasn’t hit his growth spurt or is really unfortunate in that genes department. Shinwon thinks that he’s always seemed nice, eager to help, on top of his work and one to stay away from the school gossip.    
  
“Thank you, Jinho. You can sit with our class president.” The teacher gestures to Hyunggu to sit on Jinho’s right, the seat right between Jinho and Shinwon himself. Hyunggu seems more than a little excited and walks quickly, giving Jinho a bright smile and a bow before he sits. Jinho returns both, genuinely it seems. Shinwon doesn’t miss the way Hyunggu glances at him with a small smile as well, one Shinwon does not return but that’s because he’s definitely not paying any attention at all. 

“Ko Shinwon, to the teacher’s office during your lunch break.” The teacher says sternly. Shinwon is sure he’ll be scolded and threatened with expulsion again for his numerous absences. He already attends at least once a week, what more do they want? Besides, it’s not like Shinwon’s grades are terrible. He’s actually the second in his class, second only to Jinho who is too diligent to compete with and Shinwon isn’t really trying either. He stands and bows in recognition, not trying to get beaten if the look in the teacher’s eyes is anything to go by. They take care of the duties for the morning and their Japanese class is first to begin. Shinwon goes into autopilot, with tiny moments where he glances at Hyunggu - who he notices also glances at him. The time goes not fast enough, but eventually it  _ is  _ lunch break and Shinwon stands as everyone disperses to run to the dining hall or the corner where they eat homemade lunch boxes.    
  
“I can’t believe we’re in the same class!” Hyunggu’s voice rings in his ears as he exits his far away state, and he turns to find not only Hyunggu but Jinho behind him. He quirks a brow at the sight.    
  
“Me either, actually. I thought you were younger than me.”    
  
“I am. I skipped two grades.” Shinwon’s eyes widen, he didn’t expect that. “I’m seventeen.” Kino’s smile is back again, and for some reason Shinwon is relieved. The morning had stirred something inside him.    
  
“Aren’t you going to the teacher’s office?” Jinho questions. It’s the first time they’ve spoken except for when he was assigned after school duties a few times. He doesn’t say it in a snide way, it’s just a reminder really. 

“Good question.” Shinwon stretches. “You two eat at the hall?” Jinho nods, Hyunggu shrugs. “I’m starving, shall we?”    
  
“You’re just not going to go?” Jinho prods. Shinwon gives him a small smirk. 

“They only need like two minutes to tell me how terrible I am for not coming to this amazing institution, lunch break is an hour long. I’ll go eventually. Now, food.” He walks out of the classroom, hearing the other two speed up to catch up and smiles to himself. It might be nice to not eat alone for once. Usually, Shinwon just doesn’t eat until he gets out of school but he’s feeling good today. They all get their trays, lunch being semi decent today with katsu for meat and seaweed soup for the main dish. Sometimes Shinwon does question who thinks of the combinations. They ignore the looks and even shouts from the rowdy students as they walk to an empty table, and dig in. They don’t talk until they’re mostly done, sitting back as satisfied as a lunch break can make them.    
  
“Why are you like that?” Jinho starts first, braver than Shinwon ever expected a short studious student to be, but that’s what he gets for assuming he supposes.    
  
“Like?”    
  
“I’ve seen you in class maybe seven times since school started, it’s a miracle you haven’t been expelled. You don’t care at all?”    
  
“Not like they haven’t tried to expel me,” Shinwon mutters. “You see the grade listings, not like it matters if I go to school or not.” Jinho hums at that.    
  
“No, I suppose not. Still, why piss the teachers off so much?”    
  
“Did you just swear?”    
  
“What? I swear.” Jinho looks irritated. 

Hyunggu laughs. “You two are funny, I wonder how it is that you weren’t friends before.”   
  
“Shinwon isn’t known for being friendly.”    
  
“I’m known for being a gangster,” Shinwon grins at Hyunggu.

“Are you?”    
  
“No.” The conversation is familiar, Shinwon likes the banter they can bounce off each other. He kinda likes Jinho too, the way he actually feels more like Shinwon - someone unbothered with what others think than the wimpy nerd Shinwon had assumed he was before ever even speaking to him. “Do you think the same?” He asks Jinho, curious what someone more level headed would assume. Surely, it isn’t the narrative the school writes.   
  
“That’s stupid. You’d be killed with a body like that if you were a gangster.”    
  
“Look who’s talking,” Shinwon laughs, not even actually offended. Jinho laughs too, Hyunggu joining in. Shinwon feels good today, really good. He feels like he hasn’t in a long time. “Kino, are you going to take the dye out?” He watches Hyunggu’s lips open in pleasant surprise.    
  
“You called me Kino?”    
  
“You said you like that name too right? Do you prefer Hyunggu?” Shinwon really likes the name Kino, it’s unusual and cute - like Hyunggu himself.    
  
“I prefer Kino.” Shinwon thinks he sees a slight blush spread on his cheeks and finds it endearing. “I don’t really want to change my hair.” He pouts, moving around left over bean sprouts in his tray.    
  
“So don’t.” 

“Ya! Not everyone is like you, Ko Shinwon.” Jinho hits his shoulder lightly. Shinwon thinks vaguely that he hasn’t had friends like this in a while, and almost gets emotional but chokes it down. “Hyunggu might be trying to avoid trouble.”    
  
“Hey, he said he prefers Kino.” Shinwon pinches Jinho, who looks confused.

“But why two names? Why can’t I just call you Hyunggu?”    
  
“You can.” Hyunggu smiles. “I like both of my names, but Kino is a name I gave myself so it’s special. I don’t mind you using either.” Jinho seems to consider this.    
  
“Well, it’s just a name. Kino, it is.”    
  
“How come you haven’t gotten expelled yet, Shinwon?” Shinwon is a little taken aback at how blunt Jinho can be, but he doesn’t mind it at all. It’s refreshing.    
  
“Connections,” Shinwon says vaguely. He doesn’t like discussing his home life. The answer is enough to make Jinho nod his head and turn back to his tray.    
  
“Sorry,” Jinho says after a few moments of awkward silence. “About the idiots in our class. I personally thought you might be sick or something. Makes no sense to just assume the worst of people you don’t even know.”    
  
“Not like it’s your fault,” Shinwon puts a hand on Jinho’s small shoulder with a smile. There was no need for him to acknowledge the stupid rumours that Shinwon experiences for just being a little quiet, a little absent, but it was nice nonetheless.    
  
“I gotta admit, you’re not like what I thought you’d be.”    
  
“You thought I’d be a nerd and a pansy, right? Ass kisser maybe?” Shinwon smiles sheepishly with a hand on his neck in guilt. “Class president isn’t a bad spot to have, sure does look nice on a college resume anyway. Doesn’t mean I have to be like those sniveling idiots in anime.” Shinwon blushes, caught at the source of his prejudice. He does watch a little too much anime, he supposes.    
  
“Are you trying to go to Yonsei or something?”    
  
“Or something,” Jinho laughs. “Abroad. Want to enter a music program in LA, but it’s competitive as hell.” Shinwon’s breath catches and for a moment the world doesn’t feel real. He hasn’t met a person who was interested in music like him since - “I have a friend already over there. He’s a freaking genius.” 

“What do you want to do with music, hyung?” Hyunggu is bouncing in his seat, obviously excited about the idea as well. Shinwon wonders if he too is interested in music, and his head reels at the idea that his life changed so much since this kid walked into that damn forest. 

“I sing, but I want to compose and produce too. I can do a program that teaches both, or dual major over there.” Jinho doesn’t seem shy, not afraid to share dreams that other kids would laugh at - the adults would shoot down like a murder running from the police. Shinwon feels envious of his confidence. “What do you guys want to do?” He raises his eyes, but the five minute warning bell rings and he looks at Shinwon with a knowing smile. “Looks like it’s time to accept your fate.” Shinwon sighs and nods, standing and collecting his tray.    
  
“I hope it will be okay, hyung.” Hyunggu looks at him with worried eyes from his seat. Shinwon can’t understand how a boy can be so cute, and gives him a lopsided smile.    
  
“Don’t you worry about hyung. I’ve done this too many times to count.” He waves them goodbye and goes to deal with the monotony that plagues him, but maybe today it’s not so bad. 

“Wishes do come true.” Hyunggu says, as soon as he enters the glenn. Shinwon here for a few hours already, reading because what else. There  _ are  _ other things, but those are locked away.    
  
“Huh?”    
  
“I wished that next time I came here, I could see you again.” Hyunggu smiles at him in that way he does, the way that Shinwon thinks he doesn’t see him smiling at Jinho or the kids that ask him stupid question in class sometimes. Of course, the blue isn’t natural. Hyunggu’s kept the blue, despite his teacher’s constant threats but she hasn’t sent him anywhere yet. Hyunggu is the kind of person who can do no wrong, everyone loves him even if they talk about him. He’s popular in a strange way.    
  
“I’m only here on weekends.” Shinwon admits, asking himself why he just gave that away. He likes Hyunggu fine, likes him a lot even, but this place was his sacred getaway and now he’s almost guaranteeing he’ll always have company. At least it’s just him.   
  
“You really come to school just once a week, huh?” Hyunggu climbs up onto the branch with him, swinging his feet as he looks at the ladybugs crawling around in the grass. Sometimes Shinwon thinks that the glenn didn’t feel magical until Hyunggu entered it, it was just peaceful before. Now, everything seems to have soul. It’s like a cartoon.    


“Yeah,” Shinwon hums, marking his page and putting the book down. “Why?”    
  
“I just,” Hyunggu hesitates, looking to the river and away from him. He looks shy. “I miss you when you’re not there.”    
  
“Jinho might be upset if he were to hear that.” Shinwon chuckles, ignoring the way his heart speeds up at the admittance. 

“I like Jinho hyung, but he doesn’t  _ get  _ me as much as I think you do.” Hyunggu bites at the inside of his cheek, Shinwon reaching up a hand to stroke the spot and stopping him. Not a good habit to have.    
  
“We’ve talked like two times.”    
  
“It’s not what you say,” Hyunggu sighs, taking out his phone. His phone is  _ pink  _ , with stickers all over the back. “Just the way you treat me.”   
  
“I don’t think I understand,” Shinwon looks into his eyes, willing him to explain.   
  
“What do you think I am?” Kino scrolls through a music playlist, turning on a song with a mix of low brass and piano that sounds like something you could slow dance to. “Is it okay if-”    
  
“Beautiful,” Shinwon says a second later, not thinking about it much. Hyunggu stares at him, eyes wide and cheeks red, lips open in that way they do when he’s surprised. Shinwon really likes this expression on him.    
  
“W-what is?”    
  
“That’s what I think you are.” Shinwon admits, voice dipping lower. His own cheeks are feeling a little hot, but he doesn’t look away - watches as a small smile spreads on Hyunggu’s face.    
  
“That’s not what I meant, but I appreciate it.” He jumps down from the branch, phone balancing in a crevice of the tree with the song still playing. Shinwon watches as Hyunggu starts to  _ dance  _ , and if he thought he was beautiful before, it's nothing to how he looks while his limbs flow in ways that they were made to. Hyunggu was born to dance. He matches the feeling of the song playing exactly, his eyes closed and feeling the music run through him. He twists and moves in ways Shinwon couldn’t imagine looking that pretty if he tried. When Hyunggu stops and opens his eyes, he’s met with Shinwon’s eyes burning into him. They’re both taken aback at the feeling of looking into each other’s eyes. Shinwon thinks if Hyunggu was closer, he might be leaning in to kiss him right now.    
  
Shinwon’s known he was gay for a long time now, not acting on it most of the time - but there’s not many men in the town to act on it with in the first place and he’s content being alone. Hyunggu makes him feel like he’s been missing something this whole time, like one of his eyes were closed or there was a filter blocking the truth from him. He doesn’t know what Hyunggu is, but it doesn’t matter. Hyunggu needs someone just as magical, not someone like him.    
  
“How was it?” Hyunggu sounds out of breath, and Shinwon wonders how he’s supposed to find words to express how that made him feel. Alive, interested, entranced, maybe a little turned on.    
  
“Amazing,” is all Shinwon settles for, disappointed in himself for not doing better for Hyunggu. “Sometimes I don’t think you’re real.” Shinwon adds, since they’re both admitting things this afternoon.   
  
“I’m real, I’m just not -” Hyunggu pauses, his eyes look strangely shiny. It takes Shinwon a second to realize that Hyunggu is about to cry and he almost leaps off the branch, hurries over to hold his shoulders and look into them. What in the world could make such a boy  _ sad  _ ? “I’m okay.” Hyunggu laughs, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. It’s just a defense. Shinwon pulls him, presses him against his chest and holds his head. He doesn’t need to know what’s going on if Hyunggu doesn’t need him to. All he needs is to make sure he knows there’s someone here for him. “This is what I mean, hyung. You understand without even knowing anything, don’t you?”    
  
“I - I don’t know. I just have this feeling with you.” They’re both talking into each other’s shirts, but they’re the only ones there and they can hear. 

“Me too, hyung.” Maybe this is what a soulmate feels like, Shinwon thinks. They don’t have to say anything to know what they’re talking about. “When I don’t see you, my heart hurts.”    
  
“You must be in pain in school,” Shinwon chuckles, then stops when he realizes it’s barely a joke.    
  
“There are too many boxes in the world.”    
  
“Yeah,” Shinwon thinks that his understanding of this isn’t the same as Hyunggu’s but it’s similar. There’s too many checkmarks to have to fill out, when Shinwon doesn’t even want a form. He wants to write his own stories, not choose from someone else’s.    
  
“I don’t want to be seen as just Hyunggu. I’m so much more than that.” Hyunggu sobs, Shinwon’s shirt is getting wet and he looks up at the darkening sky.    
  
“Hyunggu, Kino.” Shinwon reaches down, places the softest kiss to the top of his head. His nose ticklish inside his hair. Kino smells like fresh air, like a summer morning you couldn’t wait to wake up on. Hyunggu feels like a fulfilling life, like going to sleep knowing the next day has so much in store. Kino and Hyunggu feel like what Shinwon has always needed. Maybe one day, he’ll find out what they taste like. “You are  _ so much  _ .” As Hyunggu cries into Shinwon’s chest, and Shinwon’s hands tremble against Hyunggu’s back. A sweet melody plays from their tree branch.    
  


“What happened?” Jinho asks one day at lunch. Shinwon has started coming at least three times a week, and paying attention in class. It doesn’t make much of a difference if he didn’t come, but it makes Hyunggu happy and that’s the whole reason for it all. “You guys have been different since like two weeks ago. I missed something.” Hyunggu smiles at Shinwon knowingly, they hold hands underneath the table away from anyone’s eyes. They’re not dating. They haven’t even actually confessed, but they don’t need to. Not them. Not yet. 

  
  


It’s a cold night. Winter is almost in the midst, the chill is palpable and Shinwon doesn’t have a jacket. He didn’t think to grab one when he ran out his door to the forest. His eyes burn from the tears running down, and his nose hurts from the fist that connected to it. There’s blood on his cheek and lips, his shirt too. He shivers and falls to his hands and knees at the same spot those dandelions stood. He wishes he could make a wish now. He wishes to himself, wishes and wishes and wishes but it doesn’t come true that night. 

Hyunggu doesn’t show up.    
  


_ “Why are all our school’s transfer students so fucking weird?” _ Shinwon remembers a girl whispering the day Hyunggu introduced himself to the class, glowering at her as she rolled her eyes at him. _ “You’d think Ko Shinwon is bad enough.”  _ _  
  
_

Shinwon doesn’t go to school for two weeks, he doesn’t go to the glenn either. He doesn’t come out of his room at all. It’s December, and Shinwon’s heart has frozen over. He refuses to answer Hyunggu’s messages, doesn’t want his warmth to heal him. He just wants to stay like this a while. His doorbell rings today, his parents are overseas - have been for the whole two weeks. Shinwon manages to shower every day and brush his teeth. That’s the most he can do some days, but it’s something. He gets up to answer it, if it’s a package and he doesn’t sign for it for his dad, he doesn’t want to think about what will happen again. Except it’s not a package, when he opens the door he’s greeted with Hyunggu. His hair isn’t blue anymore. It’s silver, and gorgeous. Hyunggu has makeup on, and a gift bag in his left hand. He has a smile that doesn't’ reach his eyes but it looks like it’s trying. Shinwon is too weak to turn him away, not Hyunggu. He turned Jinho away the other week, feeling guilty after the fact but Jinho understood after a sincere apology over a phone call Shinwon hyped himself up to make for hours. He steps aside, gesturing for him to come in. He regrets looking a mess, blushing slightly at his greasy shirt and hair sticking up in strange directions. He’s glad his face has healed. When Jinho visited, he looked like he would cry which threw Shinwon off. Jinho was always so calm and put together but he looked like he was devastated, and angry and hurt all at the same time. Shinwon assured him it was nothing, but knew Jinho understood well enough. They went their separate ways reluctantly, Jinho promising him he wouldn’t tell anyone, not even Hyunggu but JInho must have told Hyunggu his address because here he is - beautiful as ever looking around Shinwon’s embarrassingly lavish home. He hates his money, his parents, his life.    
  
“Happy Birthday, hyung.” Hyunggu turns to him, holding out the gift bag. “This one’s from Jinho. Mine is coming a bit later.” He smiles apologetically, but Shinwon just shakes his head, taking the bag and putting it down at the dinner table in the foyer. He turns to the smaller boy, eyes frantic and voice refusing to come out. “It’s okay.”    
  
“I-”    
  
“It’s okay, hyung. I trust that you had a reason to ignore me.” Hyunggu smiles, again it doesn’t reach his eyes. Shinwon runs to gather him in his arms again, he’s shivering though he’s not cold and his eyes are filling with tears again. He thought he had no tears left to cry but Hyunggu brings out all emotions in him. He winces as Hyunggu’s hand brushes a bruised rib that hasn’t gone away, and freezes as Hyunggu notices. Hyunggu pushes at his chest, looking at his face with wide eyes and brows furrowed. This is an expression Shinwon hasn’t seen before. Hyunggu is careful, brushing the same spot again and Shinwon can’t hide his grimace.    
  
“Show me,” Hyunggu whispers, his voice shaking. Shinwon can’t deny the boy anything, doesn’t want to hide it anyway. He’s already here. He takes his shirt off, disgusted with it anyway and blushes as Hyunggu does at all the exposed skin but now is not the time. His right side is still purple and splotchy, still tender to the touch. “W- who?”    
  
“My dad.” Hyunggu’s eyes close suddenly, face scrunching and Hyunggu falls into a squat, hugging his knees, covering his face, and letting sobs run through him. Shinwon wipes at tears falling down his own face, pitying that he had to make the boy cry so earnestly. 

“Hyung,” Hyunggu’s voice is raw, his throat scratchy as he talks through sobs “don’t let him hurt you again. Come to my house. Go to Jinho’s, anywhere.”    
  
“I went to the glenn.” Shinwon says suddenly, Hyunggu sniffles looking up at him. “I went and I - I wished you were there but I told you wishes don’t work, Kino.”    
  
“Why didn’t you call me?” Hyunggu jumps up, stepping up to his chest. “Are you stupid? Who needs a wish when I’d run to you at the drop of one word, hyung.” Shinwon wipes aggressively at his face, he hates crying. It makes him look ugly. “I spent two weeks worrying that I scared you away. Then I worried that something happened to you. And now I find out it  _ did  _ and you didn’t ask anyone for help!  _ NOT EVEN ME , HYUNG. I THOUGHT WE HAD A FEELING.  _ “ Hyunggu is screaming, shaking as he looks at Shinwon with eyes that don’t understand anything at all for once.

“ _ THAT’S WHY I COULDN’T TELL YOU! _ ” Shinwon yells back, hating himself for it when Hyunggu’s shoulders shrink and he jumps at the sound. He started it though. He started everything, by coming here.  _ Here,  _ the only place Shinwon wanted to make sure Hyunggu never saw even a speck of. He hates it here, he hates who he is here. He hates what he’s done to Hyunggu and Jinho too. “I- how am I supposed to tell people about this? I’m rich as hell. I don’t have a problem in the world, do I? Everything I ever wanted I own, the school doesn’t bother me, I’m left alone by my parents - no nagging. What could I possibly want, right?”    
  
“That’s not-”    
  
“Not true? That’s all they say when they find out who I am! I didn’t  _ ask  _ for this!” Shinwon throws a chair he picks up, the legs breaking off in the living room. “Now I’m acting just like him.” Shinwon shudders, rubs at his face. He hates himself. He feels arms around his neck, Hyunggu’s small torso against his own as he buries his face in his shoulder. “What are you doing?” Shinwon can barely breathe, Hyunggu in his arms like this is more intimate than anything they’ve ever done before. Hyunggu moves into him, backing him up against the couch in the living room and they fall onto it, Hyunggu on top of Shinwon in the same position.    
  
“You’re not like that man, Shinwon.” Hyunggu says, firmly, but Shinwon knows. He swore he never would be. His arms reach up to stroke Hyunggu’s head, their thing for a few months now before Shinwon disappeared. He kisses the top of his head.    
  
“I love the silver.”    
  
“I love you.” Hyunggu breathes out. Shinwon feels time itself stop, all blood rushing to his head and he stares at the small sliver of red skin that is Hyunggu’s cheek he can still see.    
  
“I think you should go.” Shinwon says back. Not,  _ I love you too _ , though God knows he does. Oh, how he loves this boy. He would rip his heart out right now, and offer it to him if he needed it. He would wait for years to meet him again but this is all he can say now. “I don’t -” He reaches out to catch Hyunggu’s wrist as he gets up quickly to leave, deeply hurt. Shinwon hates himself so  _ fucking  _ much right now, and that’s why he can’t say it back. Not now. Not yet. This isn’t something that Hyunggu can pick up without him saying it. So he catches his wrist, pulling on it until Hyunggu turns to look at him with his eyes shiny again. They’ve cried far too much since they’ve met. Cried far too much for their ages. “Kino.” He looks at him, vulnerable. “I need time. I - I can’t love you like  _ this _ .”    
  
Hyunggu only nods, and leaves. Shinwon opens his presents later, when the second shows up at his door with a cake the delivery man gives to him with a smile that says  _ lucky guy _ when Shinwon feels anything but. The cake has a cute chibi of Jinho and Hyunggu, yelling the birthday message and that does make Shinwon laugh. Jinho gives him a small booklet of IOU’s, the card saying the booklet itself is mostly a joke but that he has a proposal he thinks Shinwon should talk to him about when he’s ready. The other thing delivered is a guitar case. The guitar inside is beautiful, dark cherry wood and expensive durable strings. There’s a pick, it’s simple. Just a color. The same color as Hyunggu’s hair when they first met. 

  
  


It takes most of December for Shinwon to pick up his pieces again, glue them carefully together and look in the mirror with that same confidence he used to have before it all broke apart. He’s been messaging with Jinho, attempting with Hyunggu but mostly getting stale conversation that doesn’t lead anywhere. He supposes he’s being unfair , so he just stops and asks Jinho to make sure Hyunggu is okay in his absence. Jinho tells him Hyunggu is okay, he’s made some new friends in school. Two boys called Changgu and Hongseok, the latter of which Shinwon suspects Jinho has a crush on when he talks about him. Changgu is bright, smiles just as much with Hyunggu and the table isn’t empty and cold like Shinwon feared. He’s glad, if a little worried he might have waited too long and lost Hyunggu altogether - but he could live with that if Hyunggu was happy.    
  
On New Years, he invites the whole group over to his place. A step he never knew he would take in his entire life, but if he has this giant place why not use it. His parents are still overseas, Shinwon suspects that his mother is filing for divorce the night after she witnessed his father beat him in an angry rage. He’ll take care of her if she needs him. His mother has called him at least once a week, checking to see how he’s doing and if he needs anything. One night, she cries and apologizes for not being able to protect him but Shinwon scoffs at the thought - tells her he loves her and will be the one to protect her from now on.    
  
The guest list turns out bigger than he expected, but he doesn’t mind. There’s plenty of space and food for everyone with the credit card he never uses anyway. It’s nearing nine, most of the guests have arrived though Changgu claims his plus one is running late for a good reason and will be there before it turns into the next year. Shinwon waves it off, doesn’t mind anything at all, he's having a great night. Hongseok brought two boys almost the same age as Changgu, Wooseok and Yuto - a Japanese exchange student - and Shinwon is amused seeing the two glued to each other at the hip. He wonders if there’s something there, but Hongseok assures him that the entire friend group has been asking for at least a year and they insist they’re “homies”, whatever that means. Shinwon is truly amazed at how many queer people he didn’t know about exist in their town, but he supposes if he was hiding it then others could have been too. Jinho seems to be successfully flirting with Hongseok in the corner, with the help of some light alcohol, as he prods and strokes Hongseok’s muscles. Shinwon is honestly  _ embarrassed  _ how obvious the two are and wonders if he needs to put a warning sign on the bedrooms in the place. Jinho also brings his friend from LA, who’s in town for the winter break, his name is Hwitaek and he made the playlist for the party, including a few of his own songs as he asks people’s opinion. Jinho wasn’t joking, the man is a genius. He’s a dork though, for the kind of person Shinwon imagined to be a hardcore music major, this man was not it, but again Shinwon should stop assuming. The party is spent playfully making fun of Hwitaek, playing games of truth or dare where Wooseok and Yuto make out on a dare, claiming that homies kiss and it’s not gay, and eating delicious chicken and pizza with alcohol. Shinwon and Hyunggu don’t spend much time with each other, skirting around and just having polite conversation. Though the looks they keep giving each other are electric, and Shinwon knows this isn’t over. Not them. Not yet. 

Around half past ten, there’s a doorbell rung and Changgu jumps up excitedly, saying his boyfriend has  _ finally  _ arrived. Shinwon opens the door with a smile that falls rather quickly, as he sees someone he  _ hasn’t  _ seen in at least two years.    
  
“Long time no see, Wonnie.” Yan An greets him with a shy smile, holding out a wrapped gift box. “Happy really late birthday.”    
  
  


_ “You could have dyed it a crazier color than light brown, is all I’m saying.” Yan An whines. Shinwon glowers at him, irritated that the boy can’t just be happy that he’s trying something new. He thinks he looks pretty damn good, and wishes his boyfriend would freaking tell him that.  _ _  
_ _  
_ _ “Whatever.”  _

_ “Agh, come on, Wonnie. You always do this. You know you look good.” Yan An attempts to envelop him in a hug but Shinwon struggles out of it. Things have felt weird for a long time between them, and he’s been trying to figure out how to address it but boiling over is also an option he supposes.  _ _  
_ _  
_ _ “A good boyfriend wouldn’t care how many times he has to say it!” Shinwon fumes.  _ _  
_ _  
_ _ “You look fucking hot.  _ **_What_ ** _ is your problem?” Yan An spits back, frustration rising. They’ve been fighting over every little thing. The problem started mostly when Yan An started to complain about having to hide their relationship in public. Shinwon claims he doesn’t get it though, being from ShangHai where things are obviously different. “You’re so needy but then you don’t want me to do anything in front of people. Make it make sense.” Yan An picks at his nails sitting on Shinwon’s bed.  _ _  
_ _  
_ _ “We’ve talked about this,” Shinwon talks through his teeth, he’s so tired of fighting.  _ _  
_ _  
_ _ “I know you’re used to getting everything you want, but you’re not the only one in the world Shinwon!” Yan An throws up his hands, his gorgeous brows coming down intimidatingly in anger.  _

_ “I’m not used to-” Shinwon whimpers, the tears coming to his eyes. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ “Oh please, look around at you.”  _ _  
_ _  
_ _ “Get out of my house.” Shinwon grits out, grabbing Yan An by the wrist and pulling him towards the front door. Pushing his shoes into his hands and looking away as the boy stands in his doorway.  _ _  
_ _  
_ _ “So this is how we end it?” Yan An breathes out, his heart breaking. He loves Shinwon, or maybe he did. Maybe they fell apart somewhere, lost all the pieces so what they glued back together was just a joke.  _ _  
_ _  
_ _ “Yeah, I guess it is.” Shinwon is cold. He doesn’t want a meaningful goodbye. He doesn’t want to ever see Yan An again. How could he understand what he goes through with his parents always gone, and when they are here - the drinking, the arguing, the pain as he gets slapped by his own father and his mother crying all night as she treats his cheek.  _ _  
_ _  
_ _ “I hope you learn something before you try dating someone again, Wonnie.” Yan An sighs, putting his shoes on and walking out. That was the last time Shinwon ever saw him, blocking his number and all socials.  _ _  
_ _  
  
_

“I was hoping we could talk,” Yan An rubs at the back of his neck, the same habit Shinwon picked up from him in those two years they were together. He can see Hyunggu looking at them curiously from the couch. Changgu doesn’t seem to be in on anything, looking surprised and maybe a bit upset - something no one has really seen on the man before. “But- I mean my boyfriend invited me. He said it was okay.”    
  
“I didn’t know this was the guy you were talking about,” Changgu snips, raising a brow. Shinwon smiles at them both, waving his hands freely. They really should talk, and Yan An’s problem with Changgu is his own. 

“Come in, come in. It’s been so long. Thank you for the gift.” Shinwon’s smile isn’t fake, it might be a little tense but he’s happy to see the man again. He’s grown, literally, getting even taller than the impossible height he’s been. Shinwon’s grown as well, but he’s not on Yan An’s level.    
  
“What the hell is in the water, and why did I not get any of it?” Jinho yells, looking from Shinwon, to Yan An, to Wooseok and glowering. The whole room laughs, Shinwon hyper focuses on Hyunggu’s laugh - heart hurting that he hasn’t been a reason to hear it for a long time.    
  
“We’ll talk about this later,” Changgu glares at Yan An but still gives him a peck as he enters so Shinwon guesses they’re good at this kinda stuff. Yan An looks apologetic and whispers a  _ sorry, babe _ that only Shinwon and Chnaggu hear. Shinwon blushes and looks in a different direction, Changgu giggles and walks back to the group where they’re playing a falling tower on Hwitaek’s stomach. Shinwon wonders if he should limit the alcohol soon.    
  
“You look good.” They both say at the same time. Shinwon is still keenly aware of Hyunggu giving them looks, and smiles to himself at the jealousy, finding it adorable. Changgu is obviously aware of their past, or at least some aspect of it, and doesn’t seem worried so when Shinwon approaches him to ask if he can talk with Yan An privately in another room he just shrugs with a smile and turns his attention back to how Wooseok is pinching Hwitaek’s nipple to get him to jump enough to topple the tower. Shinwon leads Yan An to a sitting room past the kitchen, and gestures for the boy to take a seat.    
  
“This couch has seen some things, eh?” Yan An chuckles. Shinwon smirks and nods.    
  
“I didn’t know you were back.”    
  
“Got back not that long ago, actually.” 

“You and Changgu?”   
  
“About a month in,” Yan An says sheepishly.    
  
“You look like you’ve been together forever.” Shinwon smiles, knowing that’s what he and Hyunggu look like when things are normal.    
  
“Yeah, I - I love him I think.” Yan An blushes. “Wonnie,” Yan An starts.    
  
“You still call me that, huh?” He doesn’t mind it, but it’s a surprise.    
  
“Oh, I -” 

“It’s nice to hear again. Don’t have nicknames from anyone else.”    
  
“Yeah?” Yan An picks at his nails, the same as all those years ago. “I wanted to apologize. I was stupid for assuming you had no problems because you have money, and I didn’t consider how hard it can be to be out. Especially when you have money, I guess.”    
  
“I got over it a long time ago,” Shinwon admits. They were both at fault in their relationship, and things just fizzled out. He doesn’t get upset about it anymore. There’s no reason to.    


“How come you never unblocked me?”    


“Anxiety, guilt, the idea that you still hated me. I’m sorry too. You were right. I was always so focused on my own problems, I didn’t realize compromises have to be made for the person you love. A relationship is at least two people, you know?”    
  
“Thank you, for the apology.” Yan An smiles at him in a sly way. Shinwon knows that smile. He’s about to be teased. “That silver haired boy is really pretty, isn’t he?”    
  
“You stay away from him,” Shinwon teases back. 

“Please, I have the best boyfriend in the world.” 

“Not possible, since I -” he pauses, blushing and suddenly glum.    
  
“He’ll come around, whatever it was.” Yan An takes a hand in his. “He’s been peeking at us from the doorway this entire time,” he looks past Shinwon at Hyunggu with a smile who makes a funny sound between a scream and a laugh. Shinwon’s head snaps around, eyes meeting with Hyunggu. They’re both red. Yan An just laughs.

“The- the ball is gonna drop soon.” Hyunggu mumbles, embarrassed. “I was just here to tell you guys.”    
  
“Telling us sure did take a long time,” Yan An smirks at him. “I’m gonna go give my boyfriend a New Year’s kiss. Wonder how many others will do the same. I’m betting on Wooseok and Yuto claiming something about homies getting New Year kisses.” 

“Jinho’s gonna jump on Hongseok any second now,” Shinwon offers, “literally.” The three of them laugh.    
  
“Guys, it’s about to happen!” Wooseok’s loud voice carries into the room. Shinwon checks his watch, three minutes til. He waves for Yan An to go, who complies, and stands to take Hyunggu’s hand to pull him further into the room.    
  
“We need to talk.” Shinwon starts, Hyunggu puts his hand over his lips with a smile. The smile reaches his eyes, sparkles inside pulling any strength Shinwon had straight out of him.    
  
“Only have a minute, no time to talk now. Kiss first.”    
  
“K-” Shinwon chokes out, before his mouth is covered with Hyunggu’s and he’s nearly falling over because the boy practically leaped at him. He laughs into the kiss and feels Hyunggu smile too. They hear the guys screaming Happy New Year in the living room as Shinwon wraps his arms around Hyunggu’s small frame and deepens the kiss. The universe expands from this moment. Everything he ever wanted is right here. They separate and look into each other’s eyes, those damn sparkles getting him again. “Is it possible the silver is even better than the blue somehow?”    
“Of course, I picked it.” Hyunggu hugs Shinwon tighter. “I missed you so much, hyung.”    
  
“You’re the only one who calls me hyung, you know.” Shinwon smiles at him.    
  
“I like it. You’re my hyung.” Hyunggu blushes.    
  
“I am. Will you be mine, Kino?” Hyunggu looks at him with that smile that changed Shinwon’s entire life in the glenn that day. A moment passes. “I love you.”    
  
“I love you too. Yes. I’ve been waiting a long time.” Hyunggu pouts, Shinwon leans in to kiss his pout and leaves him with that surprised look he loves. “Guess we better get back to the party.”    
  
“We could stay here and kiss more.” Hyunggu tugs at the collar of Shinwon’s dress shirt that he wore especially to impress him tonight. Shinwon thinks he might be going crazy.   
  
“We could go to my room-” Shinwon raises a brow. Hyunggu hits his shoulder.    
  
“Not even  _ one  _ date first? Pervert!” Shinwon claims he was joking, though he wasn’t, and they walk back out to the group which cheers loudly, though Jinho and Hongseok are nowhere to be found though there are suspicious noises coming from his parent’s bedroom and Shinwon wants to laugh and scream at the same time.    
  
Among the noise of Shinwon yelling at Jinho to ‘get that dick out of him before he gets it himself’, Wooseok and Yuto claiming that homies  _ do  _ in fact kiss on New Years to make sure nobody feels lonely, Changgu and Yan An making out in the corner after a fight that lasted approximately three seconds, and Kino arguing with Hwitaek about whether DDR needs any actual dance skills, Shinwon smiles to himself.   


  
Hyunggu’s birthday arrives in what feels like no time, and Shinwon attends the party their friend group has but takes a whole day to himself to pamper the beautiful boy. He sings him a song about a loser who fell in love on his brand new guitar, and after a long talk about what they’ve done wrong and what they want to keep doing - Shinwon finally gets Hyunggu into bed, where they feel connected more than ever. In the sounds and feelings, they lose almost all consciousness of who they are and just enjoy being. When Shinwon wakes up the next morning, Hyunggu is still in his arms and they both decide to skip school that day to focus on themselves and their relationship. Hyunggu claims Shinwon is just a pervert, but Shinwon doesn’t care if it means he gets Hyunggu making those sweet noises under him again. They don’t come out of the house until the next day.    
  


Shinwon talks to Jinho about his proposal, finally feeling like he’s back in the world he belongs. He finds out the university is allowing him to take on two ‘apprentices’ the next semester, right after they graduate and Jinho thought he might be a good fit for the other spot with his grades. Shinwon cries after accepting, Jinho rubbing his back and telling him that he’ll do great. Shinwon worries that Hyunggu will be upset, since the university is in California after all but is surprised and ecstatic to find out that Hyunggu was already applying to dance schools all over the world and there was one inside the same university. Shinwon cries again at the thought of the both of them spending those years together, and Hyunggu kisses all the tears away.    
  


“Can you believe it’s been over a year since we met here?” Shinwon asks, holding his boyfriend’s hand in his as they stand next to the big tree it all happened.    
  
“Feels like the blink of an eye.” Hyunggu agrees, smiling around him again. Their eyes land on the dandelions in the field, and they smile as they walk up and pick one each.    
  
“Close your eyes as you make the wish,” Shinwon whispers in Hyunggu’s ear.    
  
“I already told you that’s outdated,” Hyunggu laughs but does it anyway, and when he opens his eyes - Shinwon is in front of him, on one knee. Hyunggu puts both hands up to his face. In Shinwon’s hand is a beautiful silver ring with a bright blue stone, and in Shinwon’s eyes are the same tears filling Hyunggu’s own eyes. They’ve cried far too much since they’ve met, but every tear was meaningful, necessary, and this is no different. “Hyung,” he breathes out.    
  
“Kang Kino, Kang Hyunggu,” Shinwon’s voice is shaking, he’s not sure if Hyunggu feels as ready as he is but they’re leaving for America in just a week to start their new semesters and gay marriage is  _ legal  _ there. “Will you marry me?” He finishes, eyes wide open watching the most beautiful boy in the world fall to his knees and close the box - causing Shinwon to panic, before he puts it aside and grabs Shinwon’s face.    
  
“Yes,” Hyunggu’s eyes still shed tears and as they kiss, they can taste the salt, “yes. Yes.”    
  
With the sound of the tree leaves rustling, the rushing of the river, and the sniffling of a beautiful boy with bright red hair, Shinwon can hear his happiness. 

**Author's Note:**

> The proposal wasn't planned, I just ... I had to. It was stuck in my mind and I just freaking had to.
> 
> Please leave a comment, I love them! Scream about KinWon with me!


End file.
